POAP Shuts Down After Five Years of Issuing Over 6.7 Million Verifiable Attendance Badges

The Proof of Attendance Protocol (POAP), known for turning 'I was there' into verifiable on-chain credentials, has shut down after five years of operation. The project entered maintenance mode on March 16, 2026, bringing an end to one of the more wholesome experiments in blockchain's history.

Launched as a hackathon project at ETHDenver in 2019, POAP allowed attendees to receive blockchain-verified badges proving their presence at events. By the time it wound down, the protocol had minted over 6.7 million unique digital attestations.

The team behind POAP, led by Patricio Worthalter and Isabel Gonzalez, attempted to expand its offerings and tackle problems like spam with a $10 million raise in January 2022. However, the project operated without a native token, which meant no built-in revenue stream and no speculative premium to attract traders.

The founders built something people genuinely liked using, but converting that goodwill into a sustainable business proved challenging. The team has indicated they're pivoting towards developing a new standard for open collectibles, while existing users will continue to receive support.